Chocolate, Cabernet and Rhubarb Dessert

This is a delicious grown-up dessert. You could use cherries or berries in place of the rhubarb.

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups (500ml) cabernet sauvignon
1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
1 small cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
2 star anise
1 bunch rhubarb (5 stalks), washed
75ml cream
75 g chocolate, broken up
300ml crème fraiche
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon caster sugar, optional

1. Place wine, ½ cup caster sugar and spices in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Cut the rhubarb into lengths and add to simmering cabernet syrup and move around very gently with a wooden spoon. When just tender, remove to a bowl.
3. Increase the heat under the cabernet syrup and simmer until thickened and reduced to ½ cup (125ml).  Strain, pour over rhubarb and allow to cool.
4. Meanwhile put cream and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Melt chocolate and stir to combine. (Alternatively do this in a microwave on low heat for a couple of minutes.) Cool but do not chill.
5. Gently fold vanilla bean paste and 1 tablespoon caster sugar, if desired, through crème fraiche.
6. Spread one-quarter of crème fraiche mixture onto each serving dish, top with rhubarb pieces and drizzle with syrup.  Top with chocolate and serve immediately.

Wine: Cabernet sauvignon of course! The chocolately characters of cabernet can marry well with chocolate, and the wine has enough power for its intensity of flavour.

This recipe comes from the TV series (and now cookbook), Lyndey Milan’s Taste of Australia. Buy your copy of the accompanying cookbook to the TV series online by clicking here!